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BBCs licence fee will be kept safe for decade

TESSA JOWELL, the culture secretary, will this week announce an inquiry into BBC funding that could eventually lead to the demise of the licence fee. However, she will guarantee the fee for 10 years from the renewal of the BBC charter in January 2007.

The government believes the multiplication of channels accompanying the switch to digital radio and television, a process that should be complete by 2012, will mean the existing method of funding the corporation may then become an anomaly. The inquiry is likely to begin at about that time.

The move will be announced on Wednesday when Jowell reveals details of the government’s green paper on the BBC. In return for guaranteeing the licence fee for a decade, the paper will also require the BBC to carry more public service broadcasting. Each of its radio and television channels will have to provide details at regular intervals of what